Leap year
by JCB
Summary: Pure fluff based on the earth leap year tradition!


**Disclaimer: **I don't any of this; I'm just borrowing for a while

**Author's note**: I know that I should be working on my other fic but that's getting kind of angsty and I needed some fluff. This is so fluffy it practically floated off the page. There are no redeeming plot features of any note except that it's set today and the fleet has made it to Earth (yup, in my dream land Galactica and fleet are floating somewhere off Jupiter as we speak!!!), and Starbuck and Apollo are an item again.

**Leap Year**

The radio blared out across the hanger deck to accompany the usual noise and bustle of the busy deck as planes came and went and the knuckle draggers went about their daily grind. Since reaching Earth's solar system a few weeks ago the chief had wired up their systems to pick up radio stations via Earth's satellites so that they could have some variation from the fleet news service. There were some stations that they liked better than others, but so far Earth music was getting the definite thumbs up.

It was good that they had this new entertainment to while away the days. When they had arrived in this solar system they were immediately contacted by some people who said that they were from somewhere on Earth called the United States of America. These guys seemed to have the most space surveillance equipment and spoke their language so they had been communicating with them ever since, but the negotiations seemed to be going very slowly and it was not clear when they might be allowed to move down to the planet. It seemed that they had rather unfortunately arrived in a presidential election year. The current guy could not seem to make such a momentous decision about the fate of the colonial fleet because his advisors were not yet sure if it would be a positive or negative thing for his party in the opinion polls. The other party seemed to be having so much trouble deciding on their candidate that they could not even start to agree on how to handle the planet's first ever contact from space. Still it gave the colonials some comfort; Earth politics seemed as rotten as their own!

The current song finished up as Racetrack was completing her post-flight check.

"After the break we talk to Barack Obama's former school friends to find out what he was like in high school," stated the cheerful announcer.

Racetrack groaned. "Not the frakking election again. What is it with these people? It doesn't happen for another nine months. Change the channel will ya?" she yelled at Figurski who was nearest the radio. After a few seconds a firm favourite was found and there was cheering and not a little grooving around the deck. Starbuck grinned at them from underneath her viper where she was working on a particularly knotty problem that she had discovered during that morning's CAP.

"And that was this week's number one record. Now here's an interesting fact for all you girls out there who can't get her guy to pop the question. In case you haven't had your double espresso yet this morning, today is February twenty ninth, a day that only occurs once every four years. And it is the day when, according to tradition, a lady may ask a man to marry her. But watch out fellas; turn her down and you have to give her a kiss and a silk gown."

"Now that's more like it," Racetrack declared. "I can think of a few guys who I wouldn't wanna marry but a good kiss and free dress wouldn't be so bad. What do you reckon, Captain?" She shouted in Starbuck's direction. "Gonna make an honest man of the Major?" Starbuck gave her a delicate gesture with her finger from underneath her viper to let Maggie know what she thought of that suggestion. Since she and Lee had kind of hooked up since their respective divorces their relationship seemed to be a source of endless fascination to the rest of the crew. No one really knew what was going on, but they spent many happy hours speculating about it over the triad table or around Joe's bar.

"Hey, you can propose to me, Starbuck," Hotdog lounged against her viper, a lascivious grin plastered across his face. "I'd pay good money to snog you in a slinky silk dress."

"Dream on, Hotdog. I wouldn't risk it just in case my worst nightmare came true and you said yes. Hey, Track, you've gotta a taker here," she yelled back at Maggie. "It's time someone gave Hotdog some pleasure in his life." Racetrack screwed up her face.

"Uhh, no offence Hotdog, but I'm not that desperate. I'm waiting to get a crack at the Earth men. We really need some new blood around here. It's really a depressing thought but I can't think of anyone I'd want to ask to marry me without being terrified they'd say yes. Although there's always the CAG. It wouldn't be so bad if he said yes."

"Mention the words 'marry' and 'me' in the same sentence and I will personally skewer your bony ass to the back end of the next viper going down the launch tube," Starbuck replied with venom. An evil grin spread across Maggie's face. She knew that she had touched a nerve (not to mention got at least two free drinks worth of gossip).

"Hey, if you're not gonna mark your territory officially, Starbuck, then the major's fair game for the rest of us." She sauntered off to file her report with the CAG, leaving Kara seething beneath her broken bird. The man in question wandered on to the deck, inevitable clipboard in his hand.

"Everything OK, Racetrack?" he asked

"Never better, sir." She handed him her report and batted her eyes in his direction. As she moved past him she let her hand trail along his arm. Lee gave her a startled look but it settled in to a decided smirk as she winked at him. A tool clattered to the floor under Starbuck's viper and there was the distinct sound of her teeth grinding.

"You OK too, Starbuck?" Lee asked.

"Oh, I'm just peachy, sir."

------

The more Kara thought about it, the more she decided that it was time she and Lee took their relationship to the next level. It was not that she was worried about him going off with another woman; she was confident enough in his feelings for her to know that possibility was remote. It was just that she thought that they were ready for the next step. They had both been somewhat circumspect in the aftermath of their previous relationships, but it was time to move on and make a firm commitment to one another. After his previous failed attempts to make it all the way before they had barely reached first base, Lee had been the one to take things slowly this time and not push things, so she knew that she was going to have to be the one to make the move. Maybe she should take advantage of this tradition from their potential future home to move things on.

When Lee finally made it back to his quarters that evening Kara was waiting for him. She was pacing and chewing the side of her thumb in a characteristic nervous gesture. He could tell something was bothering her and he did not have long to wait before he found out what it was.

"So exactly how long were you listening to Racetrack on the deck this morning?"

"Long enough," he replied, regarding her with a slight smile.

"So you heard all that crap about the Earth leap year tradition didn't you?" he nodded. She took his hand. "Well, Lee…I've been thinking it over and….um…" He put a finger to her lips to silence her. He looked straight into her eyes, his face serious again.

"No, Kara." She started to panic. Was he warning her that he would turn her down? Had she judged their relationship completely wrong again?

"You were the one who proposed to Sam weren't you?" She nodded mutely. "Every woman should experience being proposed to at least once in her life and as this is the last time it's ever gonna happen in yours we're gonna do it right." He kept hold of her hand but dropped down to one knee in front of her. All of a sudden Starbuck left the room leaving Kara Thrace with tears of joy welling up in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. She held the back of her free hand to her mouth to stop herself from breaking down completely.

"Kara, I love you. I have always loved you and I always will. Will you make me happy for the rest of my life and marry me?"

"You're sure?" she managed to whisper.

"Yes, I'm sure I want this. I've never been more sure of anything. Do you think that I would be in this ridiculous position if I weren't?"

"Oh Lee….of course I will marry you….get up you silly and kiss me," she begged. He stood and did as she asked with a dedication and skill she could not help but admire and enjoy. When they pulled apart for air he opened his hand to reveal the band of gold and diamonds nestled there.

"I'd been planning to do this for a while. I was just waiting for the right moment." He slipped the ring onto her out-stretched finger and kissed her again. "Course, if you tell anyone that I went down on one knee to propose I'll ground you for eternity."

"If you tell anyone that I cried I'll ram my viper so hard up the back of yours the instrument panel will be tattooed on your forehead."

"I think we're both safe then." A sly smile spread across his face. "Pity the proposal couldn't really have been the other way around. I'd like to have seen you in a silk gown………"

FIN


End file.
